Two Kenyan human rights activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, have mysteriously disappeared in Uganda after allegedly being abducted by armed men during an opposition campaign event led by Bobi Wine. The incident occurred at a petrol station, where the activists were reportedly seized in what Bobi Wine described as a ‘mafia-style’ operation. The Ugandan opposition leader, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is a prominent presidential candidate challenging the long-standing rule of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. Bobi Wine condemned the abduction, accusing the Ugandan government of targeting the activists for their association with him and their support for his political cause. Kenyan police spokesperson Michael Muchiri stated he was unaware of the incident, while Ugandan authorities have yet to comment. Witnesses reported that four armed men forced the activists into a vehicle and drove away, leaving their whereabouts unknown. Njagi, who had previously been abducted in Kenya last year, and Oyoo, the secretary general of the Free Kenya Movement, were actively participating in Bobi Wine’s campaign before their disappearance. This incident echoes a pattern of abductions and detentions targeting political dissidents across East Africa, raising concerns about regional governments collaborating to suppress opposition voices. Earlier this year, Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania under similar circumstances. The recurring pattern of such incidents has sparked widespread condemnation and fears of a coordinated effort to silence dissent in the region.
